


Sixteen Times

by Allamarain



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, F/F, Fluff, Sappy, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-24
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2020-07-19 04:04:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19967749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Allamarain/pseuds/Allamarain
Summary: An AU where Rose doesn't get the dimension cannon working until 2018 instead of 2008, and reunites with Thirteen instead of Ten. No real plot, just them being cute.





	Sixteen Times

_"I love you."_

Rose felt gentle kisses on her shoulders and the Doctor's arms around her. Still half asleep, she snugged against her. At first she thought it was a dream, and then she felt the small hands caressing her, and she remembered: this is real. She smiled slowly, thinking of what she had gone through to be here.

It had taken over ten years. Ten years of building the dimension cannon. Ten years of testing, failures, and improvements. So many days of frustration and setbacks. Of wanting to give up. Of threats to put the project “on hold” (which of course, meant shut down). Of fighting the Torchwood leadership for continued funding. Tears shed in her mum's arms that it wouldn't work, that she'd never see the Doctor again. 

And finally, the cannon was finished and it _worked_ , and she’d come back to this universe. She’d found the Doctor. She was surprised to find she’d regenerated into a woman, but that hadn’t mattered to her. Not at all.

She knew regenerations could change the Doctor’s personality, but she hadn’t been prepared for how much. This Doctor had the same smile, the same constant chatter, the same manic energy as the one she’d left all those years ago. The way she said Rose’s name, the way she looked at her…that hadn’t changed either. But this Doctor was so open with her feelings, so unburdened by them. She told Rose she loved her. All the time. The first thing she said to her when she woke up. As they walked along the surface of alien planets, strange and beautiful. While she was thinking of an escape plan from hostile forces. Completely out of the blue as she steered the TARDIS. Rose initially thought it was simply because the Doctor was so glad to see her again, after all these years. But they’d been reunited for six months now, and she showed no signs of stopping. Frankly, Rose was a little concerned about her.

She turned around to face her. “Hey”

“Hey” she replied softly.

“What time is it?” One distinct disadvantage to living on the TARDIS was a lack of natural light.

“About..eight, I think?”

“How are you still in bed?” The Doctor was usually up and about no later than five AM. She usually puttered around a bit until Rose woke up.

“You’re here.” She grinned, “Been awake for a while, actually. But I like cuddling you.”

“For hours? Three incarnations and the longest I’ve ever seen you sit still was twenty minutes!”

“Oi! Yes I do! When I have a good reason.” She made a face. “Making console repairs, grading papers-I was tenured faculty at St. Luke’s, remind me to tell you about that some time-holding you.” She learned over to kiss Rose’s forehead, and caught her frown. “What’s wrong?”

“That’s another thing! You keep telling me you love me. You told me sixteen times yesterday! I counted!”

“Only sixteen? I must be slippin’.” She scrunched her nose. “But why is that a problem?”

Rose took a minute to compose her thoughts. “I know you’re sorry you didn’t tell me before, when you said goodbye to me in the parallel world. We all make mistakes, do things that we regret. You don’t need to feel guilty about it anymore. You don’t have to make it up to me. ” 

Her face lit up with sudden comprehension. “I’ve been messing things up for hundreds of years. I’ve had plenty of time to dwell on the mistakes I’ve made…and I know a thing or two about letting go. I do regret it-not telling you before. But I made my peace with that a long time ago. And that’s not why I say it.”

“Why then?”

“Something about this body. The last one, Rose, I don’t think you would have liked him very much…”

“Can’t imagine that.” 

“Well, he was…a bit rough. Closed off. Mostly made of sarcasm and annoyance. Acted like he didn’t care most of the time, but of course he did, how could he not? He was just…exhausted. He’d just fought a nine hundred year siege. Lost thousands of people, families he’d known for generations. He needed to be reserved, to protect himself. But I think he held everything in too long, because he became me, and everything I feel is bursting out of me, all the time. Fear. Excitement. Anger. Love. Especially love.” She stroked Rose’s hair. “It courses through me every second of every day. I tell you because it would be hard to _not_ tell you.” 

“That makes sense. Sort of.” The intricacies of regeneration and Time Lord mental states were not something she thought she’d ever fully understand. 

The Doctor frowned. “I suppose I could stop. If you wanted me to.”

“Never.” She replied.“But maybe…tone it down a bit?”

“I could. On one condition.” She gave Rose a wicked grin. “You have to get up, instead of staying in bed until ten like you normally do!”

“No deal!” Her tone playful, she put her pillow over her head. “I’m comfy! Besides, it’s not like we have to be anywhere.”

“But there’s so much I want to show you!” The Doctor grabbed the pillow from her. “Come on, get up!” She started kissing the back of Rose’s head.

“You know, that’s only going to encourage me to stay _in_ bed.” She giggled.

“True. But I like doing that too.”

Rose turned over to look at the Doctor, reaching out to caress her cheek. “If I get up now, will you take me to that restaurant on Allotheria IV I like for dinner?” 

Her beloved gave her a gentle smile. “Your wish is my command.”


End file.
